Improvement in musical game apparatus



S. TURNEY.y

Musical Game Apparatus.

No. 153,639. Patented my 28, 1a74,

Fig. i.

' waTNEssEs Y ml/Emma BY ATTORNEYS HE GRAPHIC CD, FHUTO-L|TH.38l'4-1PARKPLACE, NJ

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL TURNEY, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSICAL GAME APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 153,639, dated July28,1874; application 51e May 9, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SAMUEL TURNEY, of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolkand State of Virginia, Ihave invented a new and valuable Improvement inMusical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the construction and .operation ofthe same, refer'- ence being had to the annexed drawings making a partof this specification, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon.

Figure l of the drawing is a representation of my music-sheet, and Fig.2 is a View ot my bells.

This invention has for its object to enable a person however unskilledin the musical art to perform at sight musical compositions.

It consists in a number of bells, or other musicalsound-producingdevices, arranged in octaves, each soundinga certain fixed note in thescale, and each of which is separately mounted on a stand and isdistinguished and designated by a number or other suitable character incombination with similar and corresponding numbers or charactersarranged upon a card or sheet, and which, thus arranged, constitute amusical composition, each of which numbers or characters represents themusical note or sound produced by the bell marked to correspond. It alsoconsists in certain characters representing the compositions to beperformed in combination with certain other characters which mark theintervals of time between the musical sounds composing said composition,and Which are to be pronounced by the performer before producing thesound before which said character is placed.

The following is a description of my improvement as applied to bells orgongs, though I do not confine myself to them, but may apply it to anyor all musical instruments.

I prefer to arrange my bells in order. If distinguished, the one fromthe other, by means of numbers, from I to 8, or, if by letters, from ato h, so that they shall produce, when struck from l to 8, or from a toh, the same ascending scale of sound as would be produced by strikingthe keys of any other musical instrument; and I may at will make use ofseveral octaves with the necessary sharps and flats, and may haveperformers in duo or trio, or in quartette, each one having his or herpart on a card or sheet.

Having arranged an air The Last Rose of Summer,77 for instance-upon thebells designated as above described, I proceed to put down upon asuitable sheet the numbers of the bells which producethe musical soundscomposing said air in the order in which said bells are sounded toproduce said air, using the hieroglyphic ,or other suitable device, tomark the pauses between said characters. I may also use the letter p forpiano, or softly, f for forte or strongly, a for allegro or briskly andrn for moderato or with moderation, to indicate what changes are to madein execution and in harmony.

It is evident from the above description that any person having a cardor sheet With the numbers of the bells arranged upon it which make up acertain air, can, by looking at the card and striking the bellsser'iatim, as the numbers are given ou the card, produce said tunewithout having the smallest idea of music.

This invention constitutes not only an agreeable parlor amusement, but avery useful one in its application toy church-chimes, which may beplayed upon by any one when the bells are numbered as described, and acard containingthe numbers ofthe bells to be sounded given to theplayer.

What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The musical-game apparatus herein described, consisting of a set ofmetal bells, tuned to produce, when struck, the successive steps orintervals of the diatonic scale, each bell being mounted independentlyupon a standard and base-block and carrying, if desired, a numberindicating its position in the scale, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

2. In combination with a set of bells, constructed substantially asdescribed, an index, chart, or key, carrying numbers from l to 8,

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein tho presence of two Witnesses.

SAMUEL TURNEY.

Witnesses GEORGE E. UPHAM, FRANK J. MAsI.

